An Airman's Wife

[EARTHLING]

From many years of reading, as we all do, the well known classics of WW1 aviation, I noticed a book often quoted in the bibliography section. This was ‘An Airman’s Wife’ by Aimee McHardy. I was desirous of reading it but it never came my way until Vol.36 of Cross & Cockade said that Grub Street had reprinted it and Barry Marsden had provided an introduction and annotation.
I acquired a copy and have just finished it.
I hope George Miller of C & C, who reviewed it, will forgive me for quoting from his excellent summation.
“This was published in 1918, hailed as a classic, and then disappeared. Barry Marsden rediscovered it, and this edition has the benefit of his introduction and notes. The airman is Captain William Arthur Bond MC* and the book is a collection of his letters to his wife, fleshed out by her thoughts and description of daily life at home in wartime. He served in 40 Squadron and was killed by anti aircraft fire on 22nd July 1917, having downed seven aircraft………..His letters from the Front are very interesting and informative. This is a love story and I must be very sentimental because I adored it.”
You would certainly have to have a heart of stone not to be moved when the telegram arrives to tell his parents of the news of his death and they have to telephone his wife.
The book forms a trilogy with Ira Jones ‘King of Air Fighters’ (Mannock) he quotes from it and ‘Fighter Pilot’’ by McScotch who was an eyewitness to Bond’s death.
I have some reservations about the book, principally relating to Aimee but would be interested to hear the opinions of others; especially those of female members who may have read it.

[EARTHLING]

I have always detested zero contributions to a thread and the depressing fact that apparently am the only one to have purchased the book.
In order to remedy these two facts I give a couple of extracts:

Bill Bond is an eyewitness to the episode when Mannock loses his right hand lower wing. He is full of praise for the way Mannock uses his aileron controls to get the Nieuport level, shut off the engine and glide down slowly.

The Padre/Chaplain is referred to as the ‘Odd Man’ but I am not sure if this is a misprint as Ira Jones refers to him as ‘The Old Man’. McScotch says that he his Padre Keymer.
Bond was a journalist before the war and this extract from a letter shows his ability as a story teller.
“I’ve mentioned Grahaeme several times haven’t I? He’s my right hand man on patrol and is wonderfully reliable.
He’s a Canadian and talks it violently and nasally—when he does talk, which is rare. Usually he is very quiet.
But when he is excited—say, when he comes back from a scrap—nothing holds him. His language, all unconsciously is lurid. And as it generally happens that the Odd Man is waiting to know all about it, the result is thrilling.
‘Anything doing?’ says the Odd Man.
‘Why, Christ Almighty, I should say there was!’ shouts Grahaeme. He has still his helmet on, and as he can’t hear well he thinks he has to shout. He goes on—‘The sky’s stiff with bloody Huns.’
The Odd Man does not continue for the moment, but just looks thoughtful. Someone else, less sensitive to blasphemy, goes on with the interrogation until the Odd Man, forgetting his feelings in the excitement of the story, chips in again.
‘Did you get one down?’
‘Jesus yes! There were three of them red b-s- and I was diving on one when I heard someone pooping at me with his – It isn’t only on these occasions that-- -- double gun…. ‘Hell!’ I said. ‘There’s another damned Hun on my tail. So I yanked up the old bus and got on the devil’s tail instead and just pumped blue hell into him!.... Christ—away he went spinning to hell and gone!’
No comment from the Odd Man!
It isn’t only on these occasions that Grahaeme’s mode of expression is unusual.
At breakfast this morning the Odd Man was seated next to him and said:
‘Out for more Huns to-day, Grahaeme?’
‘Jesus, yes!’ said Grahaeme fervently and quite gravely.
‘Well, it’s quite the right spirit anyway,’ commented the Odd Man in the stifled silence.”

You can buy the book from Amazon.co.uk for £10.49 or $15 plus p. & p. not expensive and it is a classic.

EARTHLING